As the world mourns the untimely passing of cultural and musical icon Prince, the musician's ex-wife, Mayte Garcia, had some special words to remember her late husband, who died on Thursday (April 21) at age 57.

"This man was my everything, we had a family," she told PEOPLE. "I am beyond deeply saddened and devastated."

Garcia first met Prince in 1990 when she was hired to dance on one of his tours. The pair fell in love and eventually married in 1996. Later that year, the couple suffered a terrible loss, with the death of their newborn son, Gregory, who died a week after he was born due to Pfeiffer syndrome. Garcia and Prince formally divorced in 2000.

The 42-year-old reality star, who was the inspiration behind Prince's 2008 hit single, "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World," says will forever love him and knows that he's in a better place.

“I loved him then, I love him now and will love him eternally," Garcia said. "He’s with our son now.”